By JASON LIOH
MALACCA: Four orang utans that were found not to be of a species found in Malaysia have been returned to Indonesia.
Malacca Zoo director Mohd Nawayai Yasak said the four were from the pongo pygmaeus wurmbii species normally found in the forests of Borneo.
He said the origins of the four, named Mamat, Minah, Dodi and Linda, was discovered after the Wildlife Protection and National Parks Department carried out DNA tests on all 60 orang utans in the country, including in zoos and theme parks.
“It was found that these four orang utans were different from the other species. There were no details of how they were acquired,” Nawayai said.
He said Dodi and Linda have been in the Malacca Zoo for the past five years while Mamat and Minah were seized from a theme park for not having the necessary permits 10 days ago.
Malaysia is a member of the Convention of International Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES).
CITES requires an animal to be sent back to its country of origin if it does not have proper import certification and cannot be established how it was brought into the country.
Nawayai said the orang utans would be handed over to the Indonesian Forestry Department.
They are scheduled to fly to Jakarta from KL International Airport today and would go through a rehabilitation programme before being sent to Kalimantan.
Source: http://thestar.com.my/news
September 28th, 2007
Prodita Sabarini, The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali
The kickoff Wednesday of the 2007 Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Travel Mart in Bali marks the return of the island as a major world tourist destination.
Bali, the country’s best-known tourist destination, has struggled to recover from the aftermath of the terrorist bombings in 2002 and 2005, which seriously damaged the tourism industry.
However, two years after the most recent bombings, Bali won its bid to host the PATA Travel Mart over destinations in China and India.
This year’s three-day Travel Mart is believed to be the biggest ever, with 423 buyers from 49 countries participating, more than last year’s event in Hong Kong, which was attended by 353 buyers. The Travel Mart also features 860 sellers from 36 countries.
Opening the event, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said that Indonesia’s hosting of the Travel Mart provided an opportunity to promote the country’s tourism industry after several lean years due to natural disasters, security problems and the bird-flu scare.
Kalla said that the holding of Travel Mart marked the return of foreign confidence in Bali as a major world tourist destination.
He praised Bali’s natural beauty, hospitality and culture, but reminded delegates that Indonesia was about more than just Bali.
“Indonesia is not only Bali. There are a lot of other places in Indonesia, such as Sumatra, Java, and Sulawesi, each of which offers diverse cultures,” he said.
However, for now, all eyes are on Bali.
“My first impression arriving in Bali has been good. The security has been diligent, and I am optimistic that tourists will continue to come to Bali,” PATA president and CEO Peter De Jong said.
After cutting the ribbon marking the opening of the event, the delegates quickly got down to business. The exhibition booths at the Bali International Convention Center were crowded with buyers and sellers sealing deals.
One seller, Elli Gobel, from Adventure Indonesia, said that the queue of buyers was long. “We have to do the transactions very quickly because once one buyer has sealed a transaction, other buyers are already waiting in line,” he said.
“The Culture and Tourism Ministry’s director general of marketing, Thamrin Bachrie, said that the PATA Travel Mart was expected to generate business worth about US$500 million, with Indonesia hoping to benefit to the tune of about $60 million.
Bachrie said that the ministry would launch “Visit Indonesia 2008″ in early November, targeting 7 million arrivals in 2008. This year, the target for tourist arrivals is 6 million.
He said that currently Indonesia’s brand was “Ultimate Diversity”, but the ministry was currently in the process of seeking a new brand.
De Jong said that Indonesia needed to find a strong brand to promote its tourism industry.
“Indonesia needs better branding. I think the trend in the world now is for sustainable tourism — ecotourism provides a good opportunity for the country,” he said.
“Indonesia has to work harder in promoting other areas. The message has to be stronger. Indonesia is not only Bali, but the people don’t have any idea of other places,” he said.
Source: The Jakarta Post
September 28th, 2007